Flying-machine.



' A. R, NORDSTROM.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1912.

Patented May 6, 1913.

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FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUN-E 4, 1912.

Patented May 6, 1913.

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FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIQATION FILED JUNE'Z, 1912. w 3 Q6 1980 Patented May 6, 1913.

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Ci. c 1/ 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AXEL R. IfTORDSTROMI, OF WEST LYNN, EASSCHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OI THREE- SIXTEENTHS T0 MARTIN BOWMAN, OF ROOKPOET, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ONE- I Specificationo! Letters Ij'il'teut.

AND ONE-FOURTH TO GUSTA'F F. HELL- STROK, sn., Aim ous'rar rl- HELLSTROM, In, or wEs'r LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

' FLYING-MACHINE.

Patented May 6, 1913.

Original application filed December 2 7, 1911, Serial No. 668,046. Divided and this application filed June 4, 1912. Serial No. 701,578. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ann R. NORDBTBOM,

a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at West Lynn, in the county of Essex and'State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flyin -Machines, of which the following is a spec' ation.

This invention relates to flying machines of the aeroplane type, and the present appli: cation is a division of my prior application #668,046, filed December 27, 1911.

The object of the present invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement of carriage or chassis, cushioned launching andlanding gear including skids,

and means adapting the skids, to serve as brakes, together with hydroplane floats adapting the machine to alight upon, run

along and rise from a body of water.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in w ieh:

Figure l'is a side elevation of a flying machine embodying my-invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation through the carriage and lower supportin surface. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view 0 the parts shown in Fig. 3, omitting the lower supporting surface. Figs. 4 and 5 are side and front ele- "v'iitions ofone of the skid holding and releasing devices. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail side and front views of the controlling device therefor. Figs. 8 and 9 are views of the front and rear ground wheels and their resilient supports. In the present instance, I have shown the application of my invention to a flying machine of the biplane ty e, in which the superposed supporting p anes or surfaces 1 and 2 are connected in the usual manner by struts 3 and stay wires 4, said machine being provided with head and tail frames 5 and 6 carrying the elevator or horizontal rudders 7 and 8. The tail frame also carries a vertical or direction 'rudder 9 and stabilizing planes or surfaces 10, which operate also to sustain the weight of the tail frame when the machine is m flight.

The machine mounted upon a carriage or chassis comprising a car or platform 11 more passen ers seats 13, and'a substantlallg c1gar-s aped or torpedo-shaped bod or s ield 14, m which the seats are inclose ator and passenger from the force of the wind. The seats 12 and 13 are preferably arranged in tandem relation in the. central longitudinal line of the machine, in order that the weight distributed .to trim or balance the mac ine. The car or platform 11 also supports a pair of motors l5 and 16, which rest upon suitable b the longitudinal center of the machine so as toprpperly position the motors for. balancmg e ect and to dispose the same in the pathof'. the air for an effective cooling action.

The car or platform 11 is secured to the frame .of the plane 1 by vertical struts or Istanchions 18, and

reinforced from the head and tail frame by sets-of braces 19 and 20, and from theframe of the lower plane by suitable braces 21, in connection with which suitable truss wires may be employed, if desired- The car or platform includes front and rear rods or tubes 22 and 23, 'which extend laterally beyond the platform to a required degree.

Forwardly converging bracket arms 24 are hinged at their rear ends to the, rod 22 and incline downwardly and forwardly therefrom and spindle 25 on which is ournalQd a front central supporting wheel 26. Also pivoted at their rear ,ends to the rod 22 are spring bars 27, the forward ends of which slidably engage cufi's or sleeves 28, secured to the arms 24. by which the wheel 26 is yieldingly mounted for a cushioning action. The spring bars 27 are coupled for movement in unison by a cross iece'29 and are reinforced from the frame oi the plane 1 by braces 30,

undue'vertical play. Rods 31 also projec from the bar-22 and are connected with the plane 1 by braces 32, said rods forming supwhich supports the aviators seat 12, one oreds 17' arranged on opposite sides' of thus preventing the wheel 26 from havirw,

said body or shield serving to protect the aviof the occupants thereof may be pro erly said caror platform is ports for the forward end of a pair of hydro plane floats 33, which are suspended there from by short hangers 34..

Secured at their rear ends .to the bar or platform 11 are looped suspension springs 35, arranged in pairs, each pair of springs forming a support for an axle spindle 36 carrying a rear supporting wheel 37, the two wheels bein arranged on opposite sides of the longitu inal center of the machine'and cotiperating with the wheel 26 to support the machine upon the ground and to yieldingly sustain the shocks and jars in launching and landing. The forward ends of the springs 35 are slidably fitted in sockets 38 secured to the car to: permit said springs to have vertical play. The rear- 'ciidsbf the springs are connectedwith the rods 23 by braces 39, which-may. behinged or pivoted to allow the springs to have the requisite freedon'r'of motion. Projecting from the rear of the plg g l llnaresresilientbars 10' 'wuiarsrbem at thcir rear ends to provide skids or runners 41, which are stayed at their forward ends from the tail frame by braces 42. These skids or runners are adapted by their spring action to more downward in contact with the ground. For the purpose of holding said skids elevated and in an inoperative position, each skid is provided with a keeper socket 43 carrying a bearing member 44 rovided with an open bearing recess engaged by a fulcrum pin 45 on the lower end of a holding and releasing lever46, which terminates at its lower end in a hook or looking member 47 to engage the socket 43 and is connected with the skid above its pivotal point by a coiled contractile spring 48, normally serving to hold the hook in enga ement with the socket. The lever is provided at one side with an eye or 1190k 49 which is engaged by the eye at one endofa turn buckle or tensioning device 50, whidlrisconnected with a stay wire 51 secured to the tail frame 6, whereby the lever is sustained in operative position. The two controlling levers 46 have cables 52 leading to one arm of a bell crank lever 53 fulcrumed on a bracket. 54 attached to the car,

to the other arm of which lever is coupled.

a sliding rod or controlling member 54', adapted to be depressed by the foot of the aviator, whereby the levers-may be adjusted to throw the hooks 47 out o engagement. with the sockets 43, whereupon the parts 44 and 45 are freed for disengagement, allowing the skids to drop down into contact with the ground to serve as a brake to bring the machine toa quick stop in landing. Rear hydroplane floats 55 are supported by hangers 34' from .the rods 31 adjacent the rear supporting wheels 37.

Any suitable construction andarrangement of means for aerating the rudders and maintaining latera stability may be em- .formed of rods pivotally connected with the car or platform and carrying a supporting axle, a ground wheel journaled on said axle, springs connected with the platform and slidably connected with the bracket rods, a member connecting said springs to move in unison, and braces connecting said member =wit-lr-"the' main frame to limit the play of the bracket.

2. A flying machine including a car or platform, a main frame rising therefrom and'carrying a supporting surface, a bracket pivotal formed of rods pivoted to the main frame gg and extending dommwardly and -foru-"a'rdly 'inc'oiiv'ergent relation therefrom and carrying at their converging ends a supportingaxle, a wheel mounted upon said axle, longi-. tudinally bowed springs. connected with 'the car or platform. and slidably engaging the 5 bracket rods; a connection between said springs to adapt them to move in unison,

and downwardly and forwardly diverging braces coupled to said connection and to the main frame, and servingto limit the pivotal play of the bracket.

3. A flying machine including a frame stru'cture, pairs of longitudinally extending looped springs, arranged on opposite sides of ,the longitudinal center of the frame structure, the springs of each pair having their forward ends slidably connected wit the framework and their rear ends rigidly connected therewith, axles extendin between and carried by the s rings 0 each pair, ground wheels supported by said axles, and braces flexibly connecting each pair of springs with the framework to limit'the play of said springs.

4. In a flying machine, the combination of a par or platform having front and rear transverje supporting rods, a bracket hinged to the vf 'onv supporting rod and extending outward y and downwardly therefrom, a. supporting wheel carried by said bracket, springs secured at. one end to the front 'supporting rod and slidably connectedat their opposite'ends to thebracket, braces connecting said springs withthe framework of the machine to limit theyielding pivotal play of the-bracket, pairs of longitudinally extending looped springs arranged on posite sidesof the longitudinal center 0 the machine and'connected at their rear ends with the rear transverse rodand slidably connected at their forward ends to the car or platform, a transverse axle extendin between and carried by each pair of springs,

memes la braces flexibly coupling said springs to the framework ofthe machine to limit the play ofthe springs.

5: A flying machine including a car or platform having front and reartransverse rods extendinglaterally therefrom, a front ground wheel yieldingly supported upon'the front transverse rod in the central longitudinal line of the machine, rear ground wheels arranged on 0 posite sides of the longitudinal center of the machine, supporting springs-for said ground wheels coupled to the rear transverse rod and slidably connected with the car or. latform, means for limiting the playof sai sprin s, and front and rear pairs of-floats suspen ed from the transverse rods on opposite sides of and in supporting plvot to release the hook from the keeper socket and the fulcrum pin from engagement with the bearing recess, to free said resilient skid for downward movement.

7. In a flying machine, a supporting framework, a resilient skid connected therewith and adapted to contact with the ground, a keeper socket on the skid provided ,with an open bearing recess, a sup-' port coupled to the main frame of the ma- 40 chine, a locking lever'pivoted to said support and provided with a. hook to engage said keeper socket and a fulcrum pin to engage said open bearin recess, whereby to hold the skid elevated a spring connectin said skid with the lever above the pivota point of the latter, a bell crank lever fulcrumed on the framework, :1 connection between said lever and the locking lever whereby the latter maybe adjusted to throw its hook out of engagement ve the ground, a

with the keeper socket and release the skid,

and means for operating said bell cranklever.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature '55 in presence of two witnesses.

' AXEL R. NORDSTROM.

Witnesses:

Gns'rar F. Hnnnsrnom, Sin, J OHN Ma'r'reoN. 

